LEXINGTON – Win or lose, Lainy Kruger was excited to enjoy a normal state championship swim meet after the pandemic dampened the fun and the atmosphere of the 2021 Kentucky finale.
Winning was icing on the cake after the Notre Dame Academy junior won two state championships Saturday in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state swimming championships presented by UK HealthCare.
Kruger won the state title in the 100-yard breaststroke for the second straight year, swimming 1 minute, 1.34 seconds to win by 2.21 seconds.
Earlier in the day, she won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:46.14, 4.42 seconds faster than the state runner-up.
Both times broke school records and easily earned her All-American status.
“I did pretty good and I was pretty happy,” she said. “I dropped (time) in both races but my main goal is to have fun with everything. I did that. It was a blast. In the prelims, I was a little nervous. Tonight, I was like you know what, we’re just here to have fun. It’s just a swim meet in the end.”
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The fun was a big victory for Kruger and the Pandas. Because of the pandemic and indoor attendance limitations, last year’s state championship was split up into three sites, and no fans were allowed.
Northern Kentucky swimmers competed against opponents from two other regions, and the times from around the state were combined for the final standings.
Kruger won the breaststroke championship last year, but the excitement was tampered without the crowd noise. And the camaraderie with swimmers from around the state.
A time-honored tradition at the girls meet is the Valkyries from Sacred Heart Academy not only winning the team championship, but dressing up as female Viking warriors for the awards ceremony, leading a celebration with everyone along the way.
“That’s what I love about Kentucky,” Kruger said. “We’re all super close with each other. I have so many friends from other teams, and not just in my region, in the state in general. It’s always a blast swimming in Kentucky. I was so sad last year because we were all split up, so I was really glad we could have it all together.”
Kruger has committed to the University of Florida and has one more high school season left for more fun and awards. But mainly, memories.
“I've been able to meet so many amazing people,” she said. “I love how far swimming has taken me and I’m just so grateful. Everyone knows each other and we’re just here to support each other.”
Notre Dame had six total medals on the day.
Freshman Sadie Hartig finished third in the 500 freestyle and sixth in the 200 freestyle.
NDA finished sixth in the 200 medley relay and eighth in the 400 freestyle relay.
Hartig and Kruger were in both relays with juniors Sophie Anderson and Riley Quinn.
Ryle finished 10th in the girls standings and sixth in the combined team standings.
Senior Bethany Weber led the way, medaling in fourth place in the 100 freestyle and finishing ninth in the 200 freestyle.
Freshman Claire Monahan finished eighth in the 500 freestyle.
Ryle picked up a third medal in the 200 freestyle relay.
Freshman Reese Yauger and sophomore Melia Kinross picked up points by qualifying for the consolation final.
Weber, Yauger, Kinross and senior Elizabeth West were in the 200 freestyle relay that finished seventh.
Northern Kentucky’s other two medals came from St. Henry junior Emma Littrell, who finished sixth in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle.
The region had 11 total medals.
KHSAA local girls state results
Team scores: 7. Notre Dame 124, 10. Ryle 87, 14. St. Henry 61, 18. Dixie Heights 34, 25. Cooper 20, 26. Highlands 19, 30. Scott 14, 33. Simon Kenton 11, 34. Campbell County 9, 36. Beechwood 5.
50 freestyle: 6. Emma Littrell (St. Henry) 24.23, 19. Ragan Moore (Highlands) 25.20, 20. Elizabeth West (Ryle) 25.22, 30. Dahlia Kissel (Dixie Heights) 25.72, 37. Callie Young (Dixie) 26.04.
100 freestyle: 3. Emma Littrell (St. Henry) 52.38, 4. Bethany Weber (Ryle) 52.49, 16. Ragan Moore (Highlands) 54.95, 22. Riley Quinn (NDA) 55.44, 25. Hannah Panko (Ryle) 55.84, 28. Dahlia Kissel (Dixie) 56.32, 29. Sarah Jones (Highlands) 56.45, 30. Ameliya Lynn (St. Henry) 56.49, 35. Sara Kleier (St. Henry) 56.92
200 freestyle: 1. Lainy Kruger (Notre Dame) 1:46.14, 6. Sadie Hartig (Notre Dame) 1:54.34, 9. Bethany Weber (Ryle) 1:55.17, 22. Hannah Panko (Ryle) 2:00.33, 28. Olivia Wallach (VMA) 2:01.92, 29. Elizabeth Brewer (Dixie Heights) 2:01.93, 37. Sara Kleier (St. Henry) 2:05.61, 38. Freya Reil (Dixie Heights) 2:06.56.
500 freestyle: 3. Sadie Hartig (Notre Dame) 5:04.43, 8. Claire Monahan (Ryle) 5:11.71, 13. Elizabeth Brewer (Dixie Heights) 5:14.49, 18. Sophie Thomas (Conner) 5:19.25, 20. Rosie Bauer (Beechwood) 5:21.25, 23. Paige McDaniel (Ryle) 5:23, 27. Ella Thomas (Conner) 5:25.92, 29. Lydia DiVita (Ryle) 5:26.87.
100 backstroke: 20. Sophie Anderson (Notre Dame) 1:00.82, 21. Sarah Jones (Highlands) 1:01.01, 28. Elizabeth West (Ryle) 1:02.36, 29. Paige McDaniel (Ryle) 1:02.42, 32. Olivia Wallace (VMA) 1:03.44, 33. Callie Young (Dixie) 1:03.81.
100 breaststroke: 1. Lainy Kruger (NDA) 1:01.34, 16. Melia Kinross (Ryle) 1:11.11, 21. Addi Johnson (Dixie Heights) 1:10.20, 26. Lydia DiVita (Ryle) 1:11.21, 31. Lexi Kollar (Boone) 1:12.21, 36. Maycie Skaggs (Dixie) 1:14.15.
100 butterfly: 9. Mackenzie Tucker (Dixie Heights) 56.52, 20. Lily Rice (Ryle) 59.63, 22. Ryon Argo (Beechwood) 1:00.10, 27. Stella Tucker (Conner) 1:00.62, 28. Reese Yauger (Ryle) 1:00.63, 33. Addi Johnson (Dixie Heights) 1:01.89.
200 individual medley: 9. Reese Yauger (Ryle) 2:08.15, 10. Riley Quinn (Notre Dame) 2:10.01, 19. Sophie Thomas (Conner) 2:13.74, 20. Mackenzie Tucker (Dixie) 2:14.21, 21. Ryon Argo (Beechwood) 2:14.22, 27. Stella Tucker (Conner) 2:16.50, 29. Lily Rice (Ryle) 2:17.12, 33. Rachel Stanchek (St. Henry) 2:19.60, 37. Maycie Skaggs (Dixie Heights) 2:21.48.
200 medley relay: 6. Notre Dame (Anderson, Kruger, Quinn, Hartig) 1:49.37, 10. Dixie Heights (Young, Johnson, Tucker, Kissel) 1:51.34, 26. Highlands (Jones, Yu, Bryant, Willis) 1:58.66, 27. Conner (Lucas, S. Thomas, Tucker, E. Thomas) 1:59.57, 28. St. Henry (Lynn, Stanchek, S. Littrell, Fassbender) 1:59.80, 31. Boone County (Whitford, Kollar, Lively, Vogel) 2:02.11, 36. Beechwood (Dietrich, Argo, Staley, Bauer) 2:04.13, 37. Villa Madonna (Wallace, Hatfield, Raziano, Krieg) 2:05.62, DQ: Ryle.
200 freestyle relay: 7. Ryle (Weber, Yauger, Kinross, West) 1:40.64, 9. St. Henry (Littrell, Littrell, Lynn, Kleier) 1:41.11, 17. Highlands (Tinkler, Bryant, Willis, Moore) 1:45.16, 21. Notre Dame (Smith, Hatfield, Carothers, Donnelly) 1:47.97, 25. Dixie Heights (Reil, Johnson, Slone, Brewer) 1:48.53, 26. Beechwood (Staley, Bauer, Dietrich, Argo) 1:48.98, 36. Scott (Justice, Adams, Loftis, Epperson) 1:53.23, 37. Cooper (Daniel, Jackson, Cole, Stephenson) 1:55.29, DQ: Boone County.
400 freestyle relay: 8. Notre Dame (Hartig, Anderson, Quinn, Kruger ) 3:37.53, 9. Ryle (Yauger, Rice, Panko, Weber) 3:38.92, 10. St. Henry (Littrell, Littrell, Lynn, Kleier) 3:39.53, 13. Dixie Heights (Kissel, Tucker, Skaggs, Brewer) 3:46.05, 14. Highlands (Jones, Bryant, Willis, Moore) 3:46.80, 21. Conner (Thomas, Bidleman, Tucker, Thomas) 3:54.24, 30. Villa Madonna (Wallace, Raziano, Raziano, Krieg) 4:06.79, 32. Scott (Justice, Adams, Loftis, Epperson) 4:07.95, 35. Cooper (Daniel, Vogeler, Cole, Stephenson) 4:15.89, 36. Boone County (Vogel, Lively, Kollar, Whitford) 4:16.21.
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